Norbulingka Institute is a unique institute located in Sidhpur, a suburb of Dharamshala, (Himachal Pradesh) dedicated to the preservation of Tibetan arts and culture. Norbulingka, which means 'Jewel Park' in Tibetan, takes its name from the Dalai Lama's summer palace in Lhasa, which was renowned for its beautiful gardens and was also a center of religious art.
In 1988, Mr Kalsang Yeshi (former Minister to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama) and his wife Kimberly Sciaky Yeshi (Tibetan name Pema Dolkar, a French-American anthropologist) founded the Norbulingka Institute. It was set up as a Trust and inaugurated by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in 1995.
Norbulingka Institute provided job and training for those living in the Tibetan diaspora in India. The Institute aim is to spread an awareness of Tibetan culture to the wider world, and hope that through visiting Norbulingka, guests can experience the sophistication of traditions firsthand.
Situated amidst the beautiful gardens, pools and streams, with views of the mighty Dhauladar Mountains in the distance, Norbulingka is a peaceful retreat from the bustling world. The buildings are constructed in traditional architectural style following a ground plan based on the proportions off 1,000 Armed Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion.
{Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva
The Sanskrit name "Avalokiteshvara" means "the lord who looks upon the world with compassion". Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva is has great powers and can help all sentient beings. His skilful means are limitless and he can appear in any form in all the six realms of existence to relieve the suffering of the sentient beings who live there. He vowed to rescue those who call on him when they are in suffering, for example, when caught in a fire, shipwrecked or facing an attack.
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| Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva (the Image is not from Norbulingka Institute) downloaded from internet |
In Buddhist art, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva is sometimes shown with eleven heads, 1000 hands and eyes on the palms of each hand (Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva). The thousand eyes allow the bodhisattva to see the sufferings of sentient beings, and the thousand hands allow him to reach out to help them.}
Norbulingka focuses on design meaning and quality. Every product has a story to tell through its materials, processes and themes. Keeping Tibetan culture alive by training people for future. Currently, more than 300 people work at Norbulingka.
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| woodcarving artist |
Norbulingka Institute welcome visitors to take a free guided tour in its grounds and workshops, observing artisans and their apprentices as they practice the ancient Buddhist art forms of statue making, thangka painting, screen-printing, applique and tailoring, woodcarving, wood painting, papermaking, and wood and metal craft.
The temple at Norbulingka is a magnificent example of Tibetan religious architecture and a perfect place for prayer and reflection. The temple had the 14 foot gilded Buddha and the thangka painting on the walls, which were created by Norbulingka artists.
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| Thangka painting at Norbulingka institute |
There is Losal Doll Museum at Norbulingka Institute, where hand made dolls are displayed in beautiful dioramas and are dressed in the colorful traditional costume from the various regions of Tibet.
See also: Losel Doll Museum | Gyuto Tantric Monastry |
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